Savage counsel – JFDI
Hi Chris,
I run a medium-sized agency that is doing pretty well. As the leader, I am finding my workload just seems to go up and up. I am struggling to stay motivated and particularly to tackle the bigger and tougher challenges I have to face every day. How do I keep up the energy when there just seems so much to do? How do you do it?
Productive, successful executives are those able to consistently tackle difficult and big challenges. It’s a constant struggle for me so I know how you feel. How do the successful leaders do it?
Frankly, I don’t know. But I do know how I get more of the important things done, and recently learnt a great tip from a book by fitness guru Michelle Bridges.
Michelle’s tip is to JFDI – Just Fucking Do It. But there’s a twist.
In motivating her clients to exercise, her approach goes something like this: when you wake up at 6am for your run, and it’s dark and cold and you’re convincing yourself to get back into bed, don’t. Instead, JFDI and make this deal with yourself. Just commit to exercising for 10 minutes.
If after that time you still don’t feel like doing it, then return home and put the kettle on. That’s the deal. JFDI… And just fucking do it for 10 minutes.
Michelle reports she has had some of her best workouts ever when she’s JFDI with the deal that if after 10 minutes she still wants to go back to bed, she can. Once you start, and get 10 minutes under the belt, you’re on a roll and you’ll want to keep going.
So what’s the lesson for us? If you’ve got a big proposal to write or a client meeting your team wants you to go to you really, really don’t feel like, 20 calls to make to set up a conference you know is going to be a hard sell, a stack of staff appraisal forms to complete – JFDI.
Often it seems like the more important the task, the harder it is to get started.
So, to get more of the difficult and big challenges done faster:
Identify your big rock – your most critical ‘must do’ task every day.
Start the day with it. Plan so you are able to make a start on your big rock first thing, or as soon as possible, the next day.
Prepare the night before. If possible, get ready whatever you will need to make a start on your big rock: documents, research reports, phone numbers. Clear your desk except for these items.
And then JFDI. Make a start as soon as you get to work, and if you’re really, really not in the mood, just commit to doing it for 10 minutes.
Surprise. You got it done. I am using JFDI several times a day now. Every time that voice says, “Nah, do it later”. “Nah,” says the other voice, “I’ll JFDI instead”. Give it a go. It works.
Chris Savage is the chief operating officer of STW Group. His blog, Wrestling Possums with Chris Savage, can be found at chrisjohnsavage.com
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Yeah, JFDI: take time to smell the roses.
On your deathbed you won’t wish you’d spent more time at the office.
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